Coffee County, Tennessee
County in Tennessee, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Coffee County is a county located in the central part of the state of Tennessee, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 57,889.[1] Its county seat is Manchester.[2] Coffee County is part of the Tullahoma-Manchester, TN Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is also part of Middle Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of the state.
Coffee County, Tennessee | |
|---|---|
Coffee County Courthouse in Manchester | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee | |
| Coordinates: 35°29′N 86°04′W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Tennessee |
| Founded | January 8, 1836 |
| Named after | John Coffee |
| Seat | Manchester |
| Largest city | Tullahoma |
| Area | |
• Total | 435 sq mi (1,130 km2) |
| • Land | 429 sq mi (1,110 km2) |
| • Water | 5.6 sq mi (15 km2) 1.3% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 57,889 |
• Estimate (2025) | 62,419  |
| • Density | 123/sq mi (47/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 4th |
| Website | www |
History
Coffee County was formed in 1836 from parts of Bedford, Warren, and Franklin counties.[3] It was named for John Coffee, a prominent planter, land speculator, and militia officer.[4][5]
In the period after the Reconstruction era ended (1877) and into the early 20th century, whites in Coffee County committed eight lynchings of blacks. This was the fifth-highest total of any county in the state, but three other counties also had eight lynchings each.[6]
Century Farms
Coffee County has twelve Century Farms, the classification for farms that have been operating for more than 100 years. The oldest Century Farm is Shamrock Acres, founded in 1818. Other Century Farms include:[3]
- Beckman Farm
- Brown Dairy Farm
- Carden Farm
- Crouch-Ramsey Farm
- Freeze Farm
- The Homestead Farm
- Jacobs Farm
- Long Farm
- Shamrock Acres
- Sunrise View Farm
- Thomas Farm, site of the Farrar Distillery
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 435 square miles (1,130 km2), of which 429 square miles (1,110 km2) is land and 5.6 square miles (15 km2) (1.3%) is water.[7]
Adjacent counties
- Cannon County (north)
- Warren County (northeast)
- Grundy County (east)
- Franklin County (south)
- Moore County (southwest)
- Bedford County (west)
- Rutherford County (northwest)
Major highways
State protected areas
- Arnold Engineering Development Complex Wildlife Management Area (jointly managed by TWRA and USAF)
- Bark Camp Barrens Wildlife Management Area
- Hickory Flats Wildlife Management Area
- Maple Hill Wildlife Management Area
- May Prairie State Natural Area
- Normandy Wildlife Management Area (part)
- Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park
- Short Springs State Natural Area
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 | 8,184 | — | |
| 1850 | 8,351 | 2.0% | |
| 1860 | 9,689 | 16.0% | |
| 1870 | 10,237 | 5.7% | |
| 1880 | 12,894 | 26.0% | |
| 1890 | 13,827 | 7.2% | |
| 1900 | 15,574 | 12.6% | |
| 1910 | 15,625 | 0.3% | |
| 1920 | 17,344 | 11.0% | |
| 1930 | 16,801 | −3.1% | |
| 1940 | 18,959 | 12.8% | |
| 1950 | 23,049 | 21.6% | |
| 1960 | 28,603 | 24.1% | |
| 1970 | 32,572 | 13.9% | |
| 1980 | 38,311 | 17.6% | |
| 1990 | 40,339 | 5.3% | |
| 2000 | 48,014 | 19.0% | |
| 2010 | 52,796 | 10.0% | |
| 2020 | 57,889 | 9.6% | |
| 2025 (est.) | 62,419 | [8] | 7.8% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11] 1990-2000[12] 2010-2014[13] | |||
2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 48,983 | 84.62% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 2,097 | 3.62% |
| Native American | 145 | 0.25% |
| Asian | 611 | 1.06% |
| Pacific Islander | 37 | 0.06% |
| Other/Mixed | 2,757 | 4.76% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3,259 | 5.63% |
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 57,889 people, 22,842 households, and 14,777 families residing in the county. The median age was 40.7 years; 23.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.3 males age 18 and over.[15]
The racial makeup of the county was 85.8% White, 3.7% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.7% from some other race, and 6.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 5.6% of the population.[16]
53.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 46.1% lived in rural areas.[17]
There were 22,842 households in the county, of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 47.7% were married-couple households, 18.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[15]
There were 24,946 housing units, of which 8.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 68.8% were owner-occupied and 31.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.1%.[15]
2000 census
As of the census[18] of 2000, there were 48,014 people, 18,885 households, and 13,597 families residing in the county. The population density was 112 people per square mile (43 people/km2). There were 20,746 housing units at an average density of 48 units per square mile (19/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.43% White, 3.59% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.91% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. 2.19% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 18,885 households, out of which 32.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.90% were married couples living together, 11.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 24.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.10% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 28.40% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $34,898, and the median income for a family was $40,228. Males had a median income of $32,732 versus $21,014 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,137. About 10.90% of families and 14.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.80% of those under age 18 and 15.20% of those age 65 or over.
Events
The Bonnaroo Music Festival has been held annually in the county since 2002.[19]
Notable people
- Dustin Lynch, country singer.
- DJ Qualls, film actor.
- Betty Sain, horse trainer and breeder.
- J. Stanley Rogers, Tennessee House of Representatives majority leader.
- Ally Walker, actress.
Points of interest
- Arnold Engineering Development Complex
- George Dickel Tennessee whiskey distillery
- Old Stone Fort — part of Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park, just west of Manchester
- Short Springs State Natural Area[20]
- Farrar Distillery – on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Communities
Cities
- Manchester (county seat)
- Tullahoma
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
- Beech Grove
- Belmont
- Blanton's Chapel
- Farrar Hill
- Fredonia
- Fudgearound
- Noah
- Pocahontas
- Shady Grove
- Summitville
Politics
Coffee County is a Republican stronghold. The last Democrat to carry this county was Bill Clinton in 1996.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 521 | 22.49% | 1,705 | 73.59% | 91 | 3.93% |
| 1916 | 489 | 20.84% | 1,837 | 78.30% | 20 | 0.85% |
| 1920 | 822 | 28.69% | 2,043 | 71.31% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 488 | 21.80% | 1,691 | 75.52% | 60 | 2.68% |
| 1928 | 1,126 | 48.72% | 1,175 | 50.84% | 10 | 0.43% |
| 1932 | 430 | 17.92% | 1,950 | 81.25% | 20 | 0.83% |
| 1936 | 408 | 15.88% | 2,148 | 83.58% | 14 | 0.54% |
| 1940 | 424 | 15.63% | 2,277 | 83.96% | 11 | 0.41% |
| 1944 | 568 | 17.35% | 2,703 | 82.56% | 3 | 0.09% |
| 1948 | 599 | 16.63% | 2,041 | 56.68% | 961 | 26.69% |
| 1952 | 2,110 | 37.25% | 3,537 | 62.44% | 18 | 0.32% |
| 1956 | 2,389 | 32.42% | 4,930 | 66.90% | 50 | 0.68% |
| 1960 | 3,058 | 39.79% | 4,555 | 59.26% | 73 | 0.95% |
| 1964 | 3,012 | 30.58% | 6,837 | 69.42% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 3,337 | 29.87% | 3,040 | 27.21% | 4,794 | 42.91% |
| 1972 | 6,416 | 66.18% | 2,973 | 30.67% | 306 | 3.16% |
| 1976 | 3,848 | 32.05% | 8,017 | 66.78% | 140 | 1.17% |
| 1980 | 5,454 | 40.72% | 7,612 | 56.84% | 327 | 2.44% |
| 1984 | 7,695 | 57.14% | 5,691 | 42.26% | 82 | 0.61% |
| 1988 | 7,837 | 57.56% | 5,686 | 41.76% | 92 | 0.68% |
| 1992 | 6,047 | 35.48% | 8,534 | 50.07% | 2,463 | 14.45% |
| 1996 | 7,038 | 43.18% | 7,951 | 48.78% | 1,312 | 8.05% |
| 2000 | 8,788 | 49.40% | 8,741 | 49.14% | 259 | 1.46% |
| 2004 | 11,793 | 58.48% | 8,243 | 40.87% | 131 | 0.65% |
| 2008 | 13,250 | 63.73% | 7,132 | 34.30% | 408 | 1.96% |
| 2012 | 13,023 | 67.62% | 5,870 | 30.48% | 366 | 1.90% |
| 2016 | 14,417 | 72.19% | 4,743 | 23.75% | 811 | 4.06% |
| 2020 | 17,883 | 73.65% | 5,705 | 23.49% | 694 | 2.86% |
| 2024 | 19,174 | 76.91% | 5,440 | 21.82% | 318 | 1.28% |
